Is Molly a shortened version of anything?

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Or a name in its own right? Also is Massive just far to common nowadays? TIA

Maisie not massive!

No it's not short for anything.

I think Molly may be a pet name for Margaret but not sure.

I know someone called Maureen who gets called Molly. ...

It's been a name in it's own right for well over 100 years. Have past ancestors with it (often Mollie but also Molly) as their registered name from before 1900.
I have a Mollie and it is her name - not a nn.

It can also be used as a pet name for Mary, Margaret, etc. That comes from a time when there were often lots of children named the same thing so lots had pet versions of their name as well as their 'Sunday best' name.

It's a familiar form of Mary

My granny was Molly, short for Elisabeth. Or maybe Elisabeth, NN Molly?

Not sure really it seems a bit odd now I write it down.

Another Molly here (Aunt) real name Elizabeth.

My niece is Molly short for Maura (Irish Mary?)

Milly molly mandy was really called millicent Margaret Amanda so I've always thought of it as short for Margaret but agree it is a name in its own right too.

No one ever called her any thing but Molly though

Pet name for Mary or Margaret according to Wiki
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_%28name%29

Molly is traditionally the pet name for Margaret. There was a children's story called 'Milly Molly Mandy' written in the 1920s and her real name was often given as 'Millicent Margaret Amanda'.

Hence, I'd not consider or use Milly, Molly or especially Mandy as names in their own right, but I have a bit of an unnatural aversion to nicknames as formal names. But that's just me

X-post with Occams!

It was a pet form of Mary initially.

outs self My name is Elizabeth, shortened to Molly.

My great aunt was Molly (Mary on her birth certificate)

A name in its own right, better than as a NN for anything as tbh the names it is typically a NN for dont lend themselves to people using Molly naturally. So id just go for Molly.

Imo it is also much nicer than Maisie.

I still wonder about the logic of a sunday best name, though know loads on mn think it's essential. Is anyone really going to thank you for making their "real" name Millicent to always be known as Millie? It would be a skeleton in my cupboard! Great if you like both names but unnecessary if the long name is just for the birth certificate imo.

My niece is Molly in her own right. Lovely name.

After my divorce I have gratefully reverted to my Sunday best name. Now only Db, calls me by the nm version.
Many children dislike their names and at least a Sunday best affords them some choice.

My grandmother was Molly but really Mary. I would've loved Mary if I'd had girl, it's also my MIL's name.

Is your sunday best name Millicent though? . Agree it's great if someone has two equally nice names to choose from but family members of mine have spent their lives trying to disown the likes of Archibald which are just a millstone!

My gran was Molly short for Mary.

Mary.